My personal food adventure in Ventura County began when my group met over breakfast at the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Hotel and Resort in Oxnard. It was a pretty place, right on the beach with several buildings grouped around a pool and whirlpool. Executive Chef Tim Hulbert brought skewers of fruit, eggs benedict with and without salmon and potato pancakes for our media group to break our fast. I could have happily filled up right there, but restrained myself.

You can’t fill up before you start a food tour!

Our group of writers headed up the coast to join the Downtown Ventura Tasting Tour conducted by Ventura Food Tours. The tour proved to have just the right blend of architectural history and food sampling. One companion said he would have been bored with just a tour about buildings, but a little architectural history followed by a chance to sit and eat was just right for him.

Plus we had a chance to walk off our calories. There are several blocks of walking on the tour, so if you go, wear comfortable shoes and plan for the weather.

Our guide Maureen Durkin said the tours were started to share “the bounty of the county” with visitors. We met at Bella Maggiore Inn, designed by architect Albert C. Martin, who also built the Ventura City Hall just up the street. Durkin said the inn is reputed to be haunted by an amiable ghost named Sylvia.

We hiked east on Santa Clara Street, crossing Plaza Park diagonally and admiring the huge Moreton Bay Fig Tree that was planted in 1874. Durkin said kindness almost killed the tree. Park gardeners kept the ground beneath it clear of fallen figs and leaves, which turned out to be bad for its roots. It looked big and healthy now, as we passed beneath its spreading branches.

Our first food stop was at Spencer MakenziesMakenzie’s Fish Company, known for its giant fish tacos. The tacos are available with grilled or tempura fried fish. We had a sample of the tempura fish, and it was moist and tender inside with a light, crispy batter. They use only sushi-grade fish in the restaurant and make their own sauces (including the signature Spencer sauce) and clam chowder. Available in cups, bowls or bread bowls, the chowder was simply the best I’ve ever tasted. The secret is a touch of white wine in the blend that cuts the typical fishy flavor.

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Heading to our second food stop, we passed Ema’s Herbs where the succulent lady stands guard. The amusing statue is covered with succulent plants. We learned a little about several historic buildings as we passed, but the main focus was the food.

Trufflehound’s Fine Chocolates was our second stop. Owner Claudia Gilman talked about making fine chocolates. “Chocolate is a great teacher. The No. 1 thing it teaches you is patience,” she said.

She showed us truffles and molded chocolates and acetate transfer sheets used to decorate flat chocolates. She let us sample her couverture chocolate — white, milk and dark. This is the foundation chocolate she uses to make her treats.

VenTiki, a kitschy retro tiki bar, proved to be a group favorite. The decor included bamboo pillars, fishing nets and Polynesian statues, plus black-and-white episodes of “Gilligan’s Island” playing on the TV. Skipper Scott Noble, one of the owners, set us up with a finger’s worth of mai tai made to Trader Vic’s original recipe, less sweet and with more of a kick than you’d find at most places these days.

Noble said his bar and restaurant appeals to a more mature crowd (most of us in the group were old enough to remember the 1960s). He said younger visitors complain about the price of the drinks, but don’t realize his authentic recipes have two or three times the liquor found in the more common, modified versions of tiki classics, such as the Blue Hawaii and the Zombie.

The kahlua pork slider he served was also excellent, full of flavor and not too much sauce.

At Paradise Pantry, we sat down to the most luscious grilled cheese (excuse me, Grilled Cheeeez, according to the menu). The panini contained Vella rosemary jack and aged cheddar with caramelized onions. The serving also contained an example of their cheese plates with grapes, artisan cheese, nuts, olives and dried fruit. It went wonderfully with our sample of a blended white wine from the Central Coast, Gravity Check by Ground Effect Wine Co., and equally well with a Santa Barbara red, Curtis Winery’s Heritage Cuvee. That’s all California goodness with California wine and California cheese (Vella is in Sonoma). Paradise Pantry is also known for its Mac & Cheeez — three cheeses and a parmesan crust for the standard; don’t forget to ask about the weekly “killer” special.

Just a couple of doors away, We Olive also specializes in local products. You can taste the finest California olive oils and other olive products from around the world. Little spoons and pretzel sticks are available, so you can sample mustards, spreads and other goodies. Heidi Henning served us samples of extra-virgin Mission olive oil with a smooth buttery flavor and Olio Nuovo, the first press, which had more of a peppery bite. We sipped aged balsamic vinegar imported from Italy. (It’s the only thing imported because it’s the best, Henning said.) Then we mixed a bit of the balsamic with Meyer lemon olive oil — Heidi’s favorite blend for salad dressing. We Olive is a refill shop. It will fill bottles of various sizes with your choice of oil, then refill the bottle when you bring it back.

Our final stop was at Palermo Coffee/ & Gelato. We could sample as many of their 18 gelato flavors as we wanted, then pick one for a full scoop. It was a hot day and the place was buzzing. Several flavors were almost out, including creme brulee. Coppa mista — pistachio, vanilla, chocolate and almond flavors — was popular with our group. I was very happy with my Bavarian mint. Palermo roasts its own coffee beans there, too. The place smelled delightful.

Tour guide Durkin set us loose at Palermo, which was just around the corner from where we’d started. Tour patrons could return to any of the food stops for discount shopping and dining that day or elect to visit interesting local sites — maybe visit historic Mission Buenaventura or the statue of Junipero Serra that stands in front of city hall. The beach is only a few blocks away, too.

It was a fun food adventure in Ventura, an unexpected treat one county west of L.A.